This application proposes to establish a Bridge for Minority Students in the M.S. program at Southern University to obtain a Ph.D. in the Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center (UNTHSC) at Fort Worth. Students in the M.S. program at Southern University would spend their second year in the program on the UNTHSC campus, completing their research for the M.S. degree under the direct supervision of the HSC faculty. Five students per year will be invited to apply to the UNTHSC Ph.D. program and admission is guaranteed for at least two students per year. The Ph.D. students are assured of support for up to four years from various other sources.